Happy Birthday, Mom!

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a birthday message to my dad, thanking him for being pretty much the worlds best father to me. Its true that he is. But you know what they say, right? Behind every great man there is a great woman.

This was true for my family as I was growing up. My mother, she is an amazing woman.

She talks sometimes about how my dad was usually the one that played with me, how he was the one who brought me home fun surprises like a brown bag full of candy. She has even suggested that she is a little regretful that she didn't "play" more. And its true that it was my dad who was my biggest playmate. But do you know why? Because my mom was making sure our house was in perfect condition at all times. She was providing us with a beautiful and clean home to play in. My dad, he made milk shakes for me and my friends at sleep overs (which, as I said last time, were famous in my circle of friends), but my mom was the one who made sure the house was ready for company and that the groceries had been bought in order to make those wonderful shakes! And yes, I loved my bags of candy, but I also adored all the beautiful clothes, bows, jewelry and other fun girlie things my mom would bring me home. My dad was so much fun when I was a growing up, and he was able to be because my mom was holding down the home-front.

Don't let the home-front-taking-care-of thing fool you though, because Betty Hinson is still plenty of fun! I remember countless "shopping sprees" and mommy-daughter lunches. I remember lots and lots of baking in the kitchen. She would make big, beautiful pies and let me help with those but then she would give me the scraps of dough and extra filling to make my own pies. As I got a little older, she was not afraid to let me explore the excitements of baking on my own, at the cost of her beautifully cleaned kitchen being destroyed. She would just let me do my thing, helping if needed, and then come in and clean the big mess up. Sleepovers often including a bit of baking by my girlfriends and I, thanks to my mom.

Speaking of sleep overs, as I became a teenager my house became the spot for hanging out amongst my friends. Why? Because my mom was so cool and so darn chill! I remember once when a few of my girlfriends had spent the night with me and for whatever reason we started a whipped cream food fight. That mess was all over the kitchen and in the entrance way. When my mom came into the room to see what all the noise was I remember my one friend looking at me like "Dude. We are all about to die." My mom didn't even raise her voice though! She just asked what the heck!?, laughed at our silliness, and gave us some rags to clean it up. My friends told me what a cool mom I had, but I already knew. This is just one of hundreds of her "cool" moments. I think it ranked up there with the great ones though. Its in hall of fame with the all the many of Church Camp trips and the pranks she would wake me and my friends up in the middle of the night to play (a camp tradition that no kid should miss out on!) and her making pancakes for me and my teenage friends at ten o clock at night. Yep, I was lucky to grow up with pretty cool mom.

I didn't always think she was cool though. We had our moments. Every mother-daughter team does. Ugh. And we had one really rough patch. But you know, she loved me through. She love me hard and full heartily. I would sit at the top of the stairs and scream at her, in fact I would scream just about anywhere at her, and she would almost always just stay calm. She would tell me once things had cooled down a bit, although at this particular time in my life things were never completely "cool" between the two of us, and let me k

now that I had hurt her but that she loved me, and that she always would. She showed me that no matter how hard I tried, I would never be able to push her away. She showed me the power of a mother's love. And the good news? We did eventually pop out of the other side to a much happier place. I full heartily believe that this was only because of my mother. I've seen horror stories of how other teens have gone through this or maybe even worse with their mothers and they never are able to repair it. But my mom love me too much to let that happen to us, and for that I am forever grateful.

Once we did pop out of that ugly place, we began to build a beautiful friendship. She made it clear to me that she was still my mother but she also wanted to one day be my friend. Today she is my best friend. She is my loyal companion and my biggest cheerleader in life. There are so many things that I have now because of her. She and my father are completely responsible for me being able to be a mother to my beautiful little boy. Without their support, financially, physically, emotionally, I would have not been able to successfully do it, never. My mom allowed me,

Daniel, and Dylan to live at her house with zero charge while Daniel finished school. I think all the time about what it may have been like with out that. We hardly made a dime back in those days. I've no idea how we would have survived. Not just did she support our little family during the two years that it took Daniel to finish school, she supported our young and fragile marriage. She would keep the baby for us to go on dates, even after she had worked full time all week. And she kept him several nights a week so that Daniel and I could work part time jobs for a little money of our own, money that she never once asked us for a penny of. We were able to have boost up to the beautiful life that we have now because of my mom. Even now, she helps us out all the time. She watches our kiddos for us so that we can go on dates. She comes over and teaches me how to do this or that around the house. She supports our kids and is at any event they might have. She loves us and our kids whole heartily.

Mom, its because of you that I know how to love my children without waiver. Its because of you that my family is what it is today. You are so much responsible for many of my best traits and I love you for that. You are my best friend and I love you with all my heart.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to My Daddy

I consider myself to be amongst the luckiest of little girls for having grown up with such an amazing Daddy.
My dad has been there for me in every way since the day I was born. When I developed pneumonia as a baby, my dad quit smoking on the spot in order to enhance the safety of my health.
When I was in preschool, my daddy would dress me (in the beautiful clothes that my sweet mother picked out) every day and drive me to school. I still remember those days and the sweet conversations that we held.
In elementary school, my dad would play with me for hours on in. Barbies, babies, school, house, what ever I could think of.
He would make forts in the living room for me on the weekends out of our dining room chairs and some sheets.
On weekends, he would sometimes pull my mattress (this must have been before air mattresses) into the living room and let me lay in there and watch cartoons for as long as my little eyes would let me stay awake. He would stay right in there with me in his big ole recliner.
When I became old enough for sleep overs, he would make me and my friends his "world famous oreo milk shakes". I just had a conversation with an old friend the other day who said she remembered him doing this as well!
Once, for one of my sleep over birthday parties, my sweet daddy went and stood outside a store's doors until the opened to make sure that he could get a copy of the hottest kids movie out for my friends and I to watch at the party!
Every Friday he would bring me home a brown bag full of different candies.
My daddy never missed a single performance or game that I was in.
After he had his first stroke, and was no longer to drive, he one time walked all the way to my school to be there for some small event that I had. I don't even remember what the event was, but I remember him doing that for me. I remember him telling me, "I've never missed anything you've done, why would I start now?"
As I grew into middle school, my dad would watch whatever silly shows I wanted to watch.
He would take me out for pizza and listen to all the things going on in my life that seemed so big to me at the time.
He once taught me to dance. I think it may have been around the time of my first middle school dance. Sadly for me at the the time, my dad's best moves were from the 50's or 60's! I could have swing danced or jived all night though!
He would take me to the mall, when that became my favorite past time, and let me walk around and look in all the stores for as long as I wanted.
Often, if I found something I really wanted, he would buy it for me because I always "forgot my allowance at the house" and he almost never made me pay him back, even though he always told me I was going to have to.
As I became a teenager, he was still there to listen.
Girly drama, teenage drama, boy drama... he would just listen and listen.
He gave me advice too, but just having someone to hear what I was saying meant the most, I think.
The day I got my license, I went to his house, picked him up, and he took me to dinner. I remember when I dropped him off at his house after our dinner, he made me promise to call him the second I got home, even though I lived less that 10 miles away from him.
Sometimes, my dad and I would go get coffee at a local book store and talk and talk for hours.
When I found out that I was pregnant, as a teenager, my dad was there for me every step of the way.
He and my mom were my champions.
The two of them are the reasons that my story has a happy ending.
Once the baby was born, my dad became all the more special to me.
I saw that he loved my son just as much as I did.
He helped teach me to take care of Dylan.
Again, he listened when I needed to vent about any hardships of being new, young mother.
When I got married, he and my mom were my biggest supporters.
No one thought it would last, but the two of them told me that with hard work it could.
Two years later, when Daniel, Dylan, and I moved to Texas, my dad was one of our biggest supporters.
I remember going to eat with him on the Saturday before we were leaving and him telling us how proud he was of us. I remember hard it was to hung him good bye. I'm a big daddy's girl, and it was so hard to imagine not seeing him every couple of weeks.
But just has he had been my entire life, my dad was still there for me when I moved to Dallas.
He bought his plane tickets to see us with in weeks of us moving there.
He was our first guest in our first home.
That visit is such a special time for me. I remember almost every day of it.
We planned to have lots more visits of the kind.
Sadly, Daddy had a stroke pretty shortly after and for various reasons has not been back.
I'm planning for the next visit though, because I'm sure its coming.
After the stroke that took away much of my dad's speech, he is still there for us. When I call each week, he does his best to converse. I'm just glad he still there to do what he has always done best for me, listen.
I still call and tell him all about our lives and what is going on, and he still and comfort and joy to me.
When we are together, there is nothing sweeter than to just be able to hold his hand and just be with him.
He really is one of my favorite people in this whole world.
Sure, there have been rough times in between all of those beautiful times.
But you know what, I don't even remember the details of them.
I only remember details of all the beautiful memories that my daddy made for me.
I remember the love and support that he has always given to me.

Happy Birthday, Daddy.
I hope your day is amazing.
I wish we were there to celebrate it with you!
We can not wait to see you at Christmas.
Thank you for being the best Daddy that a little girl could have ever asked for.
You mean the world to me, and I love you...
"As big as the sky, all the way to china, and back again"

Spending the Days with a Princess.

Up until this past August, when Dylan started Kindergarten, London and I have never really spent the days just the two of us.

Sure, Dylan had pre-school...

but that was half days two or three days a week.

Last year, London and I would take Dylan to school every Tuesday and Thursday at 9am.

We would then come home and hang out together and

spend one-on-one time together until lunch time at 11.

As soon as lunch was over it was nap time, and then time to pick up Dylan.

We are talking 4 hours of alone time a week.

So, when the time rolled around to send Dylan off for whole days, five days a week...

I have to say, I wasn't sure what to expect for London and I.

I was worried she would be bored with me.

I was worried I would run out of things to do with her.

I worried that if I took her to do super fun things, that Dylan's feelings would be hurt.

And I worried about being worried.

After all, she's my child!

WHY should I be so worried about spending the days alone with her!?

It wasn't that I feared being alone with my daughter though.

Its just that I had never done much of it.

She and I have always had Dylan with us.

We were used to a threesome during the days.

The first few weeks were interesting.

London and I had to feel out what our new routine would be.

I signed up for classes so that she wouldn't get bored with me.

I had a class for her to go on 3 out of the 5 weekdays.

Mommy and Me classes, where we could get out of the house and she could play with lots of new friends. All three classes fell through.

I found two other things to take her too, and it turns out that all those other classes might have been too much for us anyways! I love how things have a way of just working out!

But now we are months into our new normal, and I have to say...

I miss Dylan while he is at school. I think about him and hope he is having a great day.

But I love having time with my girl.

I told a friend the other day that I feel like I've gotten to know London in a whole new way.

Her little personality is so different when she is on her own.

She loves her brother with all her little heart.

She admires him. And she often takes the co-staring roll to him, playing along with whatever he is doing, but not usually taking the lead.

But when its just her, she is one divalicious-spotlight loving girl.

And she is so very funny.

She is sweet and loving.

And she is one smart cookie.

I love getting to have this time with her.

At first, I felt a little guilt about loving it so much.

How could I feel like that when I love having Dylan at home too?

But then I remember how special these years were for just me and Dylan too.

He had these years with me.

It was just he and I during the days for four years.

Four Beautiful years that I will always cherish.

And he still gets plenty of my love, attention, and time when he gets home.

He loves school.

He wants to be at school.

And, I think that he is happy that London and I are happy being home together.

So what do we girls do with our selves during the day

while brother is at school and Daddy's at work?

We play dolls.

We go to the library.

We have lunch dates

and play dates.

We run errands,

and do chores.

We visit Grammy.

We volunteer at Dylan's school

anytime they need help.

We take walks.

We pain our nails.

We watch cartoons.

We take baths during the day

just for fun.

We just hang out

and enjoy each other.

And just yesterday...

for the first time since she has been big enough to really "help"

We baked cookies.

And it was a smashing hit.

Sister loves to bake cookies.

I see lots of baking in our wintery-futures!

And of course we save some for Brother and Daddy.

London's 2nd Birthday

I'm obviously very late posting these, but I really wanted them to be documented here, since I use it like an online journal. I still can't believe my sweet baby girl is two!

Happy 2nd Birthday to my Sweet Princess!

Happy Birthday, my sweet London Paisley!

I can't believe you are two years old today. Before you were born, I would dream of what it would be like to have a little girl. I would fantasize of dolls & tea parties, bows & dresses, sparkles & glitter, princesses & fairies, and all thing pink & girlie. You, my sweet love, are everything I dreamed of an more!

You are just the right of girlie with a sassy twist of sporty. You are so very funny, and smarter that a whip. You can count to eleven, know several colors, lots of animals and their sounds and speak in simple, but full, sentences. You love to play outside and love, love to play with any sort of ball. You also love for me to paint you nails and to "put on" make up with me. You love your brother and daddy with all your little heart and light up when either of them comes home from school or work.

I watched you grow from a baby to a toddler this past year, and my heart was so, so proud that at times, I thought it would burst! Sweet Princess, you are everything I ever dreamed a daughter would be, and so, so much more! I can not wait to watch you grow from toddler to little girl in the coming years.

Happy Birthday, Baby!

Dylan's Birthday Part 1!

So, my big man is six years old!

He has had a very happy birthday(week!).

The festivities started when our birthday boy woke up Sunday morning. As I do every year, I cook him what ever he wanted for breakfast, this year it was cheesy walfles, and decorate just a little bit. We always have the presents on the table, waiting for him also.

Dylan was just so excited to be six, I think that the presents were icing on his cake this year. I don't know what it was about six, but it seemed to be a magic number for Dylan. He has never been so excited for a birthday before. He has proudly told everyone and anyone who will listen that he is SIX years old this past week.

After our morning celebration, we headed to church. I bought him a "Birthday Boy" pin to wear, and he was so tickled about it. He loved having everyone know it was his birthday and loved all the happy birthday wishes that he received. The rest of the day, we just hung out, played, and took it easy.

For dinner, as we do every year for birthdays, we went to dinner with my mom, brother and his family. We always let the birthday child pick where they want to eat. Dylan want pizza, so we picked California Pizza, because it was a half way point for meeting. The food was yummy and the company was great! I did not do a big cake, because I knew he would have one this coming weekend for his birthday party, but there was no way that I was going to not have a candle and cake of some sort for him! So, I ordered a huge slice of cake and had them put a candle in it. The over-doer in me cringed a little to not have a big cake and big presentation on his (even though he would have on the next week), but Dylan didn't mind one bit. He loved his piece of cake and candle just as much as he has loved the big cakes in the past! (Yes, I do see that there is a lesson to be learned there, thank you!)

He has been beside himself with happiness this whole week over his sixth birthday. Tomorrow, we have his birthday party at Winkids. He chose Super Heros as his theme. I think it is going to be pretty darn cute!

Happy Birthday to my Super Kid

Dylan,

You are six years old today. To say that time has flown by is an understatement. When I look back at picture of the day you were born I can remember every little detail, from the first time I saw you to how amazingly delicious my first sip of Diet Coke was, after months of giving it up while being pregnant with you!

The day you were born, we became a family. You taught Daddy and I everything about love. You were such a ray of sunshine to our whole family, and you still are. You have always had the sweetest spirit of anyone I've ever known. Even as a baby, you were so calm and sweet. I think the Lord knew you were exactly what our life needed. You made me into the person I am today. I am a million times better for having been given the privilege of being your Mommy. You make me smile every single day.

Five was a great year for you, little buddy. You have just bloomed from the inside out this past year. We saw you transition from a toddler into a little kid, and you did it beautifully! You've made lots of new friends and learned so very much. There have been lots of first this year. Your first team sport was Tball. You loved it and did very well at it. You also tried Karate for the first time. Your first school graduation was Preschool and Mommy's heart was so full of pride that I thought it would burst. Your first summer sports camp, and first Vacation Bible School were also this summer. A big one is that you swam mostly with out floaties for the first time all summer! Your first year of "big school" has just started and already brought so many first, from riding the bus to buying a school lunch. You have grown leaps and bounds in the past year, physically, mentally, and emotionally. We are so proud of you.

As I tucked you in last night, you told me to "hug five good bye!". I gave you the biggest hug and tucked you in. This morning, I hugged six hello! You have quite a big year, full of fun and happiness, ahead of you my sweet boy! Six is going to be your favorite year yet! I can't wait to watch you grow even more. I love you more and more each and every day. Every year is even better than the last, even though I never think it can get any better... it always does. Daddy, London, and I love you with all our hearts, our sweet, sweet boy!

Happy sixth birthday, Dylan!